Hello!  I decided to change Xena's name.  It is now Elsie.  My husband thought she looked like the "Flying Nun" from the television show, so we went with that.  She is still as cute, and is now starting to answer to her name.  Her vet appointment went well, and I got information for her training.  I may train her to become a therapy dog, which will be great, especially since she will probably not be that big.  It will be nice to take her to hospitals so that she can brighten the days of the patients and their loved ones (and the staff that cares for them). It is something to look forward to in the next couple of years.  This plan has been my first long-term goal since I got my TBI, that I am able to recall.  I have the plans to be safe, healthy, and happy, but those seem so variable that they are difficult to directly plan for.  I am excited for this journey, and I am hoping Elsie will be the right one to take it with me. 
We are preparing to move homes.  The TBI has taken quite a toll on everything, including finances, as many people with TBI unfortunately experience.  However, the good news is that we will be moving into a new home (temporarily renting), and then we do plan to buy another eventually.  I have owned a home since I turned 21, so this is a big change for me. I am excited for it.  A new home, new perspective, and new goals- so much new...  
During this time, as much as I am looking forward to the changes, I need to remember "the old" .  It has become much easier for me to dismiss things that I once wouldn't have, and I believe it to be a part of the new me that I am not as pleased with.  The positive is that I recognize it, and am trying to be more mindful.
I will have more to post later.  I am feeling overwhelmed with everything, and have been in quite a funk, but I am trying to work my way through it.  Thank you for listening. :)
Until later,
Rocky

Good morning!
Today has started off well.  We cannot have a new puppy in our home right now, as we are getting set to move, but I fell in love with a little girl and my Mom kindly enough agreed to keep her until we were ready.   I named her Xena- yes, after the warrior princess (older tv show).  I will attach a photo of her.  I think she will eventually be a support dog for me.  She is small enough to take around with me, and is very smart (so far).  I was looking to get an ESA (Emotional Support Animal), but I want to be sure she is well trained and able to do the job before I apply for registration.  My current pup- well, he is soon going to be 8 yrs old- is wonderful; however, he is a big boy and tends to urinate on things.  This makes taking him out with me a little more of a challenge, unless its a park or something similar (he goes to pet stores, but we have to keep him on a short leash).  I think this will be a good move for me.  The thought of having her has already helped.  I am so excited for these new beginnings.
It seems like I am always beginning again... but I guess it's better than not trying at all! :)
Until later,
Rocky
P.S.  Please enjoy the pic of Xena.  I love those ears!!!

It has been quite some time since I have actually written on the blog.  I have posted some photos and interesting reads, but I have not updated you on what is happening.  In the last couple of months, I have been on leave from work, now pending disability retirement.  The process is long and somewhat drawn out, and now it appears the final decision will possibly not be made until December, as it is on the mercy of several doctor's offices getting records delivered- and that can take quite some time in my experience.  In addition to this, I have had to switch attorneys due to a tremendous error on my previous attorney, and am also in the process of selling my home.  
This is a lot for anyone to handle, and most days I have found that I am doing ok- and by ok, I mean not trying to make myself stay in bed and avoid the world.  :)  I have been doing the exact opposite, keeping myself so busy that I do not even allow myself time to stop and relax.  This can be just as harmful.  I still have my daily headaches, and for almost two weeks, I had the tremendous headache in the back of my head, that was only compounded by the stress headache I would get at the top of my head and behind my eyes.  I am not sure how I made it through that!  It is wonderful that I have so much support and that my family and friends are so understanding of me when I am having a bad day- or days in that case.
I had a really low day a couple of days ago, but I made it through.  I have found that these low days will creep up on me, and it takes a lot... A LOT... to make it through without hiding.
Rather, I made myself be active with my family.  I can't explain how much this helped, even though I wanted to bury my head from the world on the inside.  At the end of the day, we went to eat, and I assisted with a woman who was having a stroke at the restaurant.  Thank goodness for training.  The poor woman's pulse was at 48 bpm when the paramedics arrived, and all I could look at was her husband in tears and her grandsons' confused looks.  They were there as a family for a birthday celebration that did not come to fruition.  My own children sat still when the paramedics arrived, and watched everything unfold; my oldest had tears in her eyes.  I am not sure if the woman made it through, but I really hope she did.
Though this event was tragic, it made me think of so much that life has to offer, and how quickly it could end.  At a pizza place with your family, during a celebration- when times couldn't be better- and all can be gone in an instant.
I took that time to focus on my own family, and thought that no matter how I feel on the inside, no matter how cloudy and foggy my head feels, or how much I want to hide, I have to make the most of everyday.  It can be gone so quickly...  
It's ok to have a bad day, or days; since my TBI, I have so many more.  The important this is to recover from them, and keep moving forward.
Until later, I leave you with a song.  I find it to be extremely inspirational, and very relevant to this blog, to my life, and to the lives of so many who struggle with pain (seen or not). 
I am not sure Rachel Platten (singer/co-writer) and Dave Bassett (co-writer) meant for it to be understood this way, but I believe that art is meant to be interpreted.  
Keep fighting.
-Rocky
Read more: Rachel Platten - Fight Song Lyrics | MetroLyrics 
https://youtu.be/xo1VInw-SKc